Curriculum Topic: Individual Activity, Virtual Friendly
Activity Type: Shared Decision-Making, Multi-topic, Birth Planning
Purpose: Expectant parents should recognize that labor may not go as expected. At the same time, providers and nurses should remember that this birth is not “just another day” in this family’s life and work to meet the family’s preferences to the extent that is possible.
Instructions:
Download and make copies, or have your participants download and bring to class, the Birth Plan Template on the Lamaze Website: https://www.lamaze.org/birth-plan.
Guidelines for Informed Consent from the U.S. National Library of Medicine: According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the physician should disclose and discuss with the patient:
-The patient’s health problem and the reason for the treatment
-What happens during the treatment
-The risks of the treatment and how likely they are to occur
-How likely the treatment is to work
-Other options for treating the health problem
-Unknown risks or possible side effects that may happen later
-If treatment is needed now or can wait Patients have the right to refuse treatment if they are able to understand the health condition, treatment options, and the risks and benefits of each option.
Source: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000445.htm
Handout: Sample Informed Decision-Making Cards
You can provide your students with a handout that reminds them of questions to ask their provider when they need to make a decision. A business card makes it easy for them to keep the card with them for any time they need to make an informed decision.
Talking Points:
There is no question that it is a good thing for the pregnant woman and her partner to think ahead about the type of birth that they hope to have. Lamaze classes provide the opportunity for expectant couples to learn about different approaches to birth and what each approach entails. A woman planning to have a natural birth will need to arrange for continuous labor support, freedom of movement during labor, and access to nonpharmacologic pain management strategies. She will want to make sure ahead of time that those supporting her (including her provider and her nurses) will provide encouragement without hesitation. On the other hand, a woman planning to have an epidural needs to know that other interventions will also be required. Some women are unaware that epidurals most often “come with” IV fluids, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, and Pitocin stimulation.
Since both providers and nurses may change during a woman’s labor, a short written birth plan on the laboring woman’s chart can serve as a reminder of her preferences for birth.
Birth plans can become a problem when the laboring woman arrives at the hospital with a lengthy list of “do’s and don’ts,” and when the care providers perceive the birth plan as indicating a lack of trust. It is helpful if the childbirth educator is familiar with the care providers and birth locations of the students attending her classes. Some hospitals have standardized birth plans that they encourage their clients to bring to the hospital. If the birth location does not have its own form, most providers and nurses are comfortable with a one-page narrative birth plan that briefly summarizes the type of birth that the couple hopes to have. An important feature of a good birth plan is flexibility.
Reference: Adapted from Lamaze Toolkit
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